When you eat is as important as what you eat for brain health
Americans like to graze. While most folks spend around an hour a day on official "meals," they spend up to 90 minutes more snacking and drinking (sugary, yuck) beverages. And 5% told a USDA survey that they eat something every hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Turns out that's not good for brain health or your liver.
A study (echoing a technique I first presented in my book "What to Eat When") that was presented at NUTRITION 2026 found that, while losing weight benefits the brain power of overweight and obese women ages 50 to 79, cognitive benefits unrelated to weight loss come from stopping eating four hours before going to sleep and reducing food intake to eight to nine hours a day (say, from 10 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m.).
When women reduced their daily diet by 500 calories and restricted their eating to around eight hours a day for six months, researchers saw a loss of 15 pounds, notable improvements in spatial planning and problem-solving and a trend toward fewer errors on memory and learning tests. Participants who simply cut their calories (and lost 15 pounds) didn't see such significant cognitive improvements.
And guess what? If you're one of the almost 33% of Americans with MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), a lab study published in eGastroenterology indicates that time-restricted eating combined with exercise may help you battle potential complications, such as cognitive problems, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. For more ways to protect your brain power, check out my newsletter at michaelfroizenmd.substack.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at drmikerealage@gmail.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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